The rock slide occurred Sunday night on U.S. 54 near Osage Beach. As of early afternoon Monday, transportation officials had cleared rocks enough to open one lane of the highway.

One eastbound lane of U.S. 54 between Nichols Road and Case Road, as well as the U.S. 54 eastbound ramp to southbound Case Road, remain closed to traffic, according to a Monday afternoon news release from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Another driver hit a large rock in the roadway but he was not injured.

Missouri transportation officials said heavy rain in the area in recent weeks likely caused the rock slide, KRCG reported. Some of the rocks were as large as cars and required special equipment to be broken up and moved.

Geologists are surveying the area to determine whether further safety precautions are necessary, according to MoDOT.

This article was updated at 4:55 p.m. Dec. 2, 2019, with additional details.

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